


H2O

by Kaunis_Sielu



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-13 21:06:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12992517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaunis_Sielu/pseuds/Kaunis_Sielu
Summary: You and Hotch end up in the water, and not in a fun way.





	H2O

“He knows these roads better than we do.” Hotch snaps flying around a curve.  
“He’s not getting out of the area Hotch. We’ve got all the roads out blocked off.” You grip the oh shit handle as the two of you bounce along on the dirt road. Morgan and Reid are coming from the south side with Rossi and JJ are coming from the east while Prentiss and the sheriff are at the west entrance, you and Hotch have the north. It was raining all day, stopping just before sunset so the dirt ‘roads’ have been rough.  
“If he goes on foot we could loose him.”  
“That doesn’t seem likely though, he’s got a car and some supplies. We profiled that he would be more willing to hunker down out here than to make a run for it.” You try to soothe his irritation. Hotch guns it around a corner, it would be so pretty out here, with the moon reflecting off of the water like a mirror, if you weren’t hunting for a serial killer who killed and ate parts of four hikers in the past three weeks. You give a slight shudder, one that might have gone unnoticed by someone else but not Hotch.  
“You okay?”  
“Yea. It just wigs me out.” He glances at you, one eyebrow raised. “Eating them. That’s a human being, you have those same body parts.”  
“His brain doesn’t work that way anymore.”  
“I know, it’s still gross.” You almost get a smile from that one. You look back out your window at the calm of the lake again. You’re heading toward the creepiest looking bridge you’ve ever seen and for what feels like the 100th time you’re glad you’re not the one driving. Epically a second later when a large, '97 red pick up truck comes barreling at you from the woods.  
“Hold on!” Hotch yells as he floors it, the SUV slipping forward. The truck connects with the back of the driver’s side, shoving you off of the road, rolling the SUV once before it comes down with a splash into the lake. Where the water both inside and outside the SUV slowly rises higher and higher. Your head hurts. You clocked it good on the window when the UnSub rammed his truck into the SUV. “Hotch? Hotch are you okay?” You ask as the water seeps in through the floor. You tug on your seatbelt and finding it jammed you go for your knife.  
“I’m okay. Can you unbuckle?”  
“No but I have my knife.” The water is up to your knees now, it’s cold and murky. You slice through the lap part of your seatbelt then you’re free. You raise up onto your knees on your seat and saw through Hotch’s seatbelt as well.  
“Thanks. Take a deep breath.” The water has reached his waist and he pulls his gun.  
“What?”  
“We’re still sinking. I’m going to blow the back window so we can get out of here.” He’s right, front of the SUV is still slowly sinking and the light from the moon is getting dimmer and dimmer. “Crawl in back.”  
“When the water fills we should just be able to pop open the doors.”  
“Let’s not risk it.” You climb in back and he follows you. You duck down below the back seats to keep the wave of water from knocking the wind out of you and Hotch takes a deep breath. You copy him then he fires three shots. The window shatters and water comes rushing in, you’d grabbed hold of Hotch’s arm so you didn’t loose him in the darkness but when the force of the water hits you you can’t keep hold. You feel your way over the back seats and slice your hand on what’s left of the back window but you’re free of the car. Turning back to search for Hotch you don’t see him. You swim back toward the sinking truck when a hand wraps around your ankle and slowly pulls you away. You tried to fight the hand that was pulling you back but you were running out of air. Where the hell was Hotch? You turn to look at who had you but can’t see much because of the darkness of the water. You draw your gun just in case, when they feel you quit resisting they let go and you follow the bottom of their shoes up to the surface. You gasp in a lung full of air.  
“Hotch?” You cough out before your eyes are even open.  
“Not yet baby girl.” Derek says, he’s gasping in air too. He must be the one who pulled you out.  
“Hotch!” You yell suck in more air and dive for him. Derek catches you before you make it far dragging you back to the surface.  
“I’ll go. I’ll go.” He says as another pair of hands catch your wrists and pull you toward the shore. Blinking the water out of your eyes you’re surprised to see that it’s Reid. You hear a soft splash and glancing behind you Derek has disappeared beneath the water.  
“Come on.” Reid says softly, “you’re going to get hypothermia.”  
“He’s gonna be okay right?” You whisper through the chattering of your teeth.  
“Yea.” Reid says helping you out of the water and over to their running truck. He passes you one of the blankets and when you don’t move he pulls off your bulletproof vest, unzips your soaking wet coat and pulls it off. You keep your eyes glued to the surface as Reid pries the blanket from your shaking fingers and wraps it around your shoulders. He moves back to the truck and grabs the first aid kit. He makes quick work of tending to the cut on your hand. He goes back to the truck again to grab a blanket for himself then joins you by the shore. Derek breaks the surface then, he’s got an unconscious Hotch with him. You’ve dropped the blanket and dashed into the water before Reid could stop you. You meet Morgan halfway to the shore and help drag Hotch there. You feel for a pulse and don’t find one.  
“No. You are not leaving.” You growl starting chest compressions. No Hotch. Open your eyes Hotch, come on Aaron please open your eyes! You drop your mouth to his, like you’ve done so many times before, but this time instead of kissing him you’re trying to force air into his lungs.  
“I’ll do compressions. You breathe.” Morgan says placing his hands on Aaron’s chest. He begins compressions and you hear Reid counting them off.  
“Breathe.” You do as Reid says, come on Aaron! The seconds feel like they’re hours each time Morgan’s hands compress Aaron’s chest you expect his eyes to fly open, expect him to take a breath in and he doesn’t. “Breathe.” Reid says. You tilt Aaron’s head back, pinch his nose and breathe into his mouth. Two breaths you see his chest rise and fall with each breath you force into his lungs. How long has it been? It feels like hours. Reid drops next to you and takes over the chest compressions to give Morgan a break. Morgan starts the out loud counting. Come on Aaron!  
“Breathe Aaron!” You sob.  
“Breathe.” Morgan says you tilt his head again, he’s been unresponsive for too long, he’s going to suffer brain damage. Please, please Aaron breathe. You force more air into his lungs. Breathe! BREATHE!  
He coughs. Then he sucks in a breath of air and coughs a few more times. You turn his head so he doesn’t choke on the water again then you drop your head into your hands and sob. He’s alive. Oh thank God he’s alive. You feel a large hand wrap around your wrist and you let him pull your hand from your face. You feel him kiss your fingertips gently.  
“Glad you’re back with us Hotch.” Morgan says softly and you feel the blanket being gently placed over your shoulders again. You still haven’t stopped crying, they’re not tears of sadness, they’re tears of relief and you haven’t looked at him yet. You left him, you swam away from him. How can you look him in the eye? You hear him sit up, he groans softly then you feel an arm wrap around your shoulders and pull you toward him. The shock of his wet clothes makes you gasp softly but it warms quickly enough to your touch. You throw your arms around him and sob into his shoulder. You’re not entirely sure which of you is shaking more, you with sobs and him with cold. You pull the blanket around him too and he sighs as your body heat combined with the blanket warm him.  
“It’s okay. We’re both alive.” He mutters into your wet hair.  
“I left you. I just swam away. Aaron I’m so sorry.”  
“Shhh, no. No don’t be. If we could have talked about it would I have told you to stay?”  
“No.”  
“You’re right. I would have pushed you out the window.” You laugh softly against the skin of his neck and he tightens his grip on you.  
“I just pictured having to tell Jack that I couldn’t save you.” You choke out.  
“You don’t have to.” He whispers, you feel him take a breath then he continues, “We need to go. Get out of our wet clothes and find the UnSub.” You untangle yourself from him then stand up. He follows you to his feet then kisses you. Pressing his lips firmly to yours and sliding his tongue into your mouth. He sets you on fire, like he always does and steals your breath away.  
“I love you.” You whisper against his lips. He kisses you again, more gently this time.  
“I love you.” He whispers back with a soft smile, then schools his expression back to his normal work face. “Morgan. Reid. Let’s go.” He calls and the other two men nod. The four of you climb into the SUV, you and Hotch in the back, you’re holding his hand tightly and this time, no matter what, you’re not letting go.


End file.
